Digital twin-and extended reality-based telepresence for collaborative robot programming in the 6G perspective

In the context of Industry 4.0,a paradigm shift from traditional industrial manipulators to Collaborative Robots(CRs)is ongoing,with the latter serving ever more closely humans as auxiliary tools in many production processes.In this scenario,continuous technological advancements offer new opportunities for further innovating robotics and other areas of next-generation industry.For example,6G could play a prominent role due to its human-centric view of the industrial domains.In particular,its expected dependability features will pave the way for new applications exploiting highly effective Digital Twin(DT)-and eXtended Reality(XR)-based telepresence.In this work,a novel application for the above technologies allowing two distant users to collaborate in the programming of a CR is proposed.The approach encompasses demanding data flows(e.g.,point cloud-based streaming of collaborating users and robotic environment),with network latency and bandwidth constraints.Results obtained by analyzing this approach from the viewpoint of network requirements in a setup designed to emulate 6G connectivity indicate that the expected performance of forthcoming mobile networks will make it fully feasible in principle.

A Telepresence-Guaranteed Control Scheme for Teleoperation Applications of Transferring Weight-Unknown Objects

Currently,most teleoperation work is focusing on scenarios where slave robots interact with unknown environments.However,in some fields such as medical robots or rescue robots,the other typical teleoperation application is precise object transportation.Generally,the object’s weight is unknown yet essential for both accurate control of the slave robot and intuitive perception of the human operator.However,due to high cost and limited installation space,it is unreliable to employ a force sensor to directly measure the weight.Therefore,in this paper,a control scheme free of force sensor is proposed for teleoperation robots to transfer a weight-unknown object accurately.In this scheme,the workspace mapping between master and slave robot is firstly established,based on which,the operator can generate command trajectory on-line by operating the master robot.Then,a slave controller is designed to follow the master command closely and estimate the object’s weight rapidly,accurately and robust to unmodeled uncertainties.Finally,for the sake of telepresence,a master controller is designed to generate force feedback to reproduce the estimated weight of the object.In the end,comparative experiments show that the proposed scheme can achieve better control accuracy and telepresence,with accurate force feedback generated in only 500 ms.

Research on Master-slave Telerobot Force Telepresence Technology

A 3 DOF master-slave telerobot system is established for study on force telepresence technology. A force feedback and position control scheme is adopted in the bilateral force response control system,and force fidelity and controllability experiments demonstrate feasibility of the con-trol system.

Telepresence Robots and Controlling Techniques in Healthcare System

In this era of post-COVID-19,humans are psychologically restricted to interact less with other humans.According to the world health organization(WHO),there are many scenarios where human interactions cause severe multiplication of viruses from human to human and spread worldwide.Most healthcare systems shifted to isolation during the pandemic and a very restricted work environment.Investigations were done to overcome the remedy,and the researcher developed different techniques and recommended solutions.Telepresence robot was the solution achieved by all industries to continue their operations but with almost zero physical interaction with other humans.It played a vital role in this perspective to help humans to perform daily routine tasks.Healthcare workers can use telepresence robots to interact with patients who visit the healthcare center for initial diagnosis for better healthcare system performance without direct interaction.The presented paper aims to compare different telepresence robots and their different controlling techniques to perform the needful in the respective scenario of healthcare environments.This paper comprehensively analyzes and reviews the applications of presented techniques to control different telepresence robots.However,our feature-wise analysis also points to specific technical,appropriate,and ethical challenges that remain to be solved.The proposed investigation summarizes the need for further multifaceted research on the design and impact of a telepresence robot for healthcare centers,building on new perceptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Master-slave robot force telepresence technology

In order to make the manipulators useful, some force feedback is required to enable the operator to sense the robot’s feelings. Without force feedback, many tasks will not be able to be carried out. For these reasons, a master slave system with different kinematics has been developed. The system permits us to vary the ratio of the position/attitude, to design a master manipulator without considering the kinematics of the slave manipulator, and so on. To overcome the difficulties, a master slave manipulator system with different kinematics is proposed. The master manipulator is force controlled via a force torque sensor in the handle. As to master slave manipulator system with two way force feedback is concerned, the force goes to the actuator from the operator, and come back to the operator from the actuator. The working situation is viewed by the stereo TV supervisory system. The force and vision telepresence are thus achieved. In order to ensure the maneuverability, direct drive DC motors and PWM servo units are adopted to improve the response speed. It can provide force response in a wide range. A lot of experiments were performed with the master slave manipulator system force telepresence to study the force response under restricted environment. By two force sensors, the force position bilateral force response system effectively decreases the affection of friction and inertia force, and increases the authenticity of bilateral force response. When the slave manipulator arm is encountered with soft object(sponge), in the experiments, the operator can clearly have the fine feeling as if he himself is contacted with the object.

Computing and Implementation of a Controlled Telepresence Robot

The development of human-robot interaction has been continu-ously increasing for the last decades.Through this development,it has become simpler and safe interactions using a remotely controlled telepresence robot in an insecure and hazardous environment.The audio-video communication connection or data transmission stability has already been well handled by fast-growing technologies such as 5G and 6G.However,the design of the phys-ical parameters,e.g.,maneuverability,controllability,and stability,still needs attention.Therefore,the paper aims to present a systematic,controlled design and implementation of a telepresence mobile robot.The primary focus of this paper is to perform the computational analysis and experimental implementa-tion design with sophisticated position control,which autonomously controls the robot’s position and speed when reaching an obstacle.A system model and a position controller design are developed with root locus points.The design robot results are verified experimentally,showing the robot’s agreement and control in the desired position.The robot was tested by considering various parameters:driving straight ahead,right turn,self-localization and complex path.The results prove that the proposed approach is flexible and adaptable and gives a better alternative.The experimental results show that the proposed method significantly minimizes the obstacle hits.

Resolutions and Network Latencies Concerning a Voxel Telepresence Experience

Recent advancements in computing research and technology will allow future immersive virtual reality systems to be voxel-based, i.e. entirely based on gap-less, spatial representations of volumetric pixels. The current popularity of pixel-based videoconferencing systems could turn into true telepresence experiences that are voxel-based. Richer, non-verbal communication will be possible thanks to the three-dimensional nature of such systems. An effective telepresence experience is based on the users’ sense of copresence with others in the virtual environment and on a sense of embodiment. We investigate two main quality of service factors, namely voxel size and network latency, to identify acceptable threshold values for maintaining the copresence and embodiment experience. We present a working prototype implementation of a voxel-based telepresence system and can show that even a coarse 64 mm voxel size and an overall round-trip latency of 542 ms are sufficient to maintain copresence and embodiment experiences. We provide threshold values for noticeable, disruptive, and unbearable latencies that can serve as guidelines for future voxel and other telepresence systems.

印刷设备的远端诊断服务浅析

现代印刷工业和相关配套产业的发展使印刷设备变得越来越复杂，自动化程度越来越高，印刷设备发生故障的几率越来越人，发生故障的原因也越来越复杂。由于印刷设备故障引起的生产停顿造成的损失是巨大的，而故障的诊断又面临诸多的瓶颈：①监测与诊断的方式和手段受到地域条件的限制，由于地域分散，特别是市场全球化以后，

Three-Dimensional Kinematics Simulation of Robot Fighting Platform in Virtual Environment

A method of 3 D kinematics simulation of robot fighting platform （RFP） in virtual environment is proposed with the aim of enhancing vision telepresence. Based on the theory of space coordinate transformation, kinematics equat!ons of RFP are formulated; followed by applying a method of modeling using 3DMAX software to build an RFP＇s 3D geometric model before a 3D kinematics simulation system of RFP is completed based on virtual reality technology and Open Inventor VC ＋ ＋. Test results have indicated that this system can perform RFP＇s kinematics simulation in virtual environment. It can also imitate RFP＇s motion states and environmental features well. Moreover, not only can better real-time performances and interactions be achieved but also operator＇s vision telepresence be enhanced, therefore this approach may help lay the foundation for the realization of RFP＇s teleoperation with vision telepresence.

A NOVEL COMMUNICATION LAW FOR BILATERAL FORCE-REFLECTING SUBSYSTEM OF TELEOPERATORS WITH TIME DELAY

This paper presents a novel communication law for teleoperators in the presence of substantial time delay. This new communication law can guarantee the stability of teleoperators in any time delay. The performance of teleoperators which use this new communication law is improved greatly.

A force feedback master finger in exoskeleton type

In order to eliminate the drawbacks of conventional force feedback gloves, a new type of master fin- ger has been developed. By utilizing three ＂four-bar mechanism joint＂ in series and wire coupling mecha- nism, the master finger transmission ratio is kept exactly 1：1.4：1 in the whole movement range and it can make active motions in both extension and flexion directions. Additionally, to assure faster data transmission and near zero delay in the master-slave operation, a digital signal processing/field programmable gate array （DSP/FPGA-FPGA） structure with 200μs cycle time is designed. The operating modes of the master finger can be contact or non-contact, which depends on the motion states of a slave finger, free motion or constrained motion. The position control employed in non-contact mode ensures unconstrained motion and the force control adopted in contact mode guarantees natural contact sensation. To evaluate the performances of the master finger, an experiment between the master finger and a DLR/HTT dexterous finger is conducted. The results demonstrate that this new type master finger can augment telepresence.

Immersive 3D Visualization of the Collective Behavior of Particles and Crystal Dislocations Using Virtual Reality Technology

In this article, we present a three-dimensional visualization technique that has been developed in order to establish an interactive immersive environment to visualize the particles in granular materials and dislocations in crystals. Simple elementary objects often exhibit complex collective behavior. Understanding of such behaviors and developments of coarse-scale theories, often requires insight into collective behavior that can only be obtained through immersive visualization. By displaying the computational results in a virtual environment with three-dimensional perception, one can immerse inside the model and analyze the intricate and very complex behavior of individual particles and dislocations. We built the stereographic images of the models using OpenGL rendering technique and then combine with the Virtual Reality technology in order to immerse in the three-dimensional model. A head mounted display has been used to allow the user to immerse inside the models and a flock of birds tracking device that allows the movements around and within the immersive environment.

Statistical Multiplexing of Homogeneous Streams results in Linear Bandwidth Gains

Statistical multiplexing of traffic streams results in reduced network bandwidth requirement. The resulting gain increases with the increase in the number of streams being multiplexed together. However, the exact shape of the gain curve, as more and more streams are multiplexed together, is not known. In this paper, we first present the generalized result that the statistical gain of combining homogeneous traffic streams, of any traffic type, is a linear function of the number of streams being multiplexed. That is, given a fixed Quality of Service (QoS) constraint, like percentile delay, D, the bandwidth requirement of n streams to satisfy the delay constraint D is n x R x c where R is the bandwidth requirement of a single stream that satisfies the constraint D and c e (0,1]. We present the linear bandwidth gain result, using an extensive simulation study for video traces, specifically, streaming video (IPTV traces) and interactive video (CISCO Telepresence traces). The linear bandwidth gain result is then verified using analytical tools from two different domains. First, we validate the linearity using Queueing Theory Analysis, specifically using Interrupted Poisson Process (IPP) and Markov Modulated Poisson Process (MMPP) modeling. Second, we formally prove the linear behavior using the Asymptotic Analysis of Algorithms, specifically, the Big-O analysis.

Humans and Robots: A Mutually Inclusive Relationship in a Contagious World

The coronavirus global pandemic has spread faster and more severely than experts had anticipated.While this has presented itself as a great challenge,researchers worldwide have shown ingenuity and dexterity in adapting technology and devising new strategies to combat this pandemic.However,implementing these strategies alone impedes the nature of everyone′s daily life.Hence,an intersection between these strategies and the technological advantages of robotics,artificial intelligence,and autonomous systems is essential for near-to-normal operation.In this review paper,different applications of robotic systems,various aspects of modern technologies,including medical imaging,telemedicine,and supply chains,have been covered with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic.Furthermore,concerns over user′s data privacy,job losses,and legal aspects of the implementation of robotics are also been discussed.

A novel general bilateral teleoperator architecture and stability analysis

One of the main issues in teleoperator is control of master-slave teleoperator.A num-ber of control methodologies have been proposed in teleoperator literature.Recently,literature has focussed on general teleoperator architectures analysis of stability,and sev-eral general teleoperator architectures have been proposed.

Reality over Web:Pervasive Computing Meets the Web

Reality over Web （ROW） is a novel concept, where a window on the web corresponds to a window onto a real space. Once the correspondence is established, users should be able to interact or manipulate the objects or people in the real space through the web window. In this paper, we introduce the RoW concept and highlight the principles that govern its design and implementation. A system architecture for realizing the RoW concept is described along with a proof-of-concept prototype that implements portions of the RoW concept. One essential part of an RoW implementation is accurate Iocationing of objects and people in a video frame. The Iocationing problem becomes particularly challenging because we want to reuse existing infrastructure as much as possible. We developed a high-frequency sound-based Iocationing scheme and implemented it on the prototype. The results from initial experiments performed on the Iocationing scheme are reported here.